Public Programming Assistant Kelly documenting an artwork in the Public Art Collection.
Ahead of the 2025 Indigenous Art Intensive program, UBC Okanagan Gallery is hiring two part time Public Programming Assistants with the generous financial assistance of Canadian Museum Association through the Young Canada Works Building Careers in Heritage program.
Position: Public Programming Assistant
Hours: Part-time 20 hours per week. Candidates must be available to work Wednesdays in May and June.
Rate of pay: $20.00/hr
Duration: 16 weeks. Monday, May 5 – Friday, August 22, 2025
How to apply:
Please send your resume and cover letter as a single PDF document titled “[Firstname][Lastname]” to ubco.gallery@ubc.ca
Eligibility requirements:
This position is offered through the Young Canada Works Building Careers in Heritage program. Candidates must meet the eligibility requirements including:
- are a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident, or have refugee status in Canada (non-Canadians holding temporary work visas or awaiting permanent resident status are not eligible);
- are legally entitled to work in Canada (have a valid social insurance number);
- are between 16 and 30 years of age inclusively at the start of employment; and
- are a high school, college, CEGEP or university student.
Application deadline:
Monday, April 28 at 11:59PM
Job Description:
The Public Programming Assistant will serve a vital role connecting the community to UBC Okanagan Gallery’s workshops, talks and educational programs including the 2025 Indigenous Art Intensive artist residency program and upcoming exhibition schedule. Students looking to gain professional experience within a visual arts organization can expect to develop skills in public educational programming development, social media content production, exhibition installation and artwork handling, and arts administration. Successful candidates will be supervised by the Curatorial Assistant and Gallery Director. Students will have the opportunity to learn from this hands on position in an adaptable hybrid work arrangement.
Student responsibilities include:
- Hosting artists and academics during the 2025 Indigenous Art Intensive program: providing campus and creative studies facilities tours, addressing queries and providing resources to aid in artistic production.
- Installation and production assistance for gallery exhibitions including a professional exhibition with Indigenous artists Peter Morin, Justine Woods and Nicole Neidhardt in the summer followed by a permanent art collection exhibition in the winter. This will include handling artworks, painting walls, installing hardware and adjusting lighting systems.
- Developing promotional content: creating video content for UBC Okanagan Gallery’s Instagram and TikTok, generating written materials for gallery website, creating and distributing promotional posters and flyers, photographic documentation.
- Researching, developing, promoting and presenting educational programs encompassing artist talks, workshops, public tours, and professional development lectures.
- Providing administrative assistance with the Indigenous Art Intensive program: email correspondence with artists, arts institutions and arts professionals, research for corresponding publications and exhibition catalogs.
Qualifications:
Applications are encouraged from graduate and undergraduate students with an academic focus in fine arts, art history, Indigenous studies, or a related field. The candidate should possess strong interpersonal and communication skills, attention to detail, and a demonstrated interest in the visual arts. Priority will be given to candidates with previous work or volunteer experience within an art gallery, museum, or related cultural institution. The candidate will work both independently and as part of a highly collaborative environment to complete a range of tasks from marketing and communications to educational programming development. The Public Programming Assistant will provide support for artist residencies, public programs (workshops, artist talks, tours etc.), and exhibitions.
Experience with social media management (Instagram, TikTok), video editing (iMovie, CapCut, TikTok), photography and graphics production is desired but additional training will be provided by the Curatorial Assistant and FCCS Media Technician. This role is community focused given the public facing nature of our programs and exhibitions. Students will be expected to interact with the general public, artists, academics and Indigenous community members. The ideal candidate should be personable and professional in their interactions as part of the role and sensitive to protocols and cultural considerations of the local Indigenous community. Candidates will also be expected to lift up to 50 lbs and perform physical labour related to exhibition installation and deinstallation. This will include climbing ladders, adjusting lighting, and utilizing power tools under the supervision of the Curatorial Assistant and FCCS Technicians.